The New Life
by RenikaChan
Summary: Even though the curse has been broken, life isn't a fairytale.  Kyo's father's death brings the Sohmas back under one roof. The sheltered Sohmas will now have to face up to harsh reality, but what's life without difficulties? All the pairs present.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: Love Circles**

"Hana-chan! Hana-_chan_!" Kunimitsu Tomoda came fleeing down the corridor, in search of the woman he feared most in the world. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and if it meant cajoling the devil to save himself, he was willing to make the sacrifice. "_Please_, shishou is cooking whilst reading again!"

Saki Hanajima looked up from Shigure's _Summer-Colored Sigh_, her mind still lingering on the part where the heroine had just taken the love of her life's manhood into her mouth, and accidentally let loose a few poison waves in his direction. Tomoda halted in his hustle and bent over as if shishou himself had just delivered a punch straight into his gut. He managed a strangled _ugh_ before collapsing on the floor, unconscious.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as Saki stood up and overstepped the fallen man, leisurely making her way to the kitchen that was all the way at the other end of the dojo. It was so inconvenient sometimes.

"Kazuma-kun, you're going to burn the dojo into the grounds," Saki stated calmly from the kitchen doorway, smiling serenely at the disaster waiting to happen in front of her eyes.

Not showing the slightest sign of being startled, Kazuma looked up from his book slowly, his right hand still absentmindedly stirring the boiling contents that were overflowing from the pot and sizzling all over the tiled floor. "Hmm…?"

Black orbs met dark gray ones, and from the autumn orange color of the book, Saki caught something more than amusement in his eyes. She lowered her lashes as she stepped carefully into the dirtied kitchen. She turned off the gas and dumped the contents of the pot into the sink, all the while making sure that Kazuma was watching her closely. "Page seventy-four…has one of my favorite scenes in the book," she said softly, smiling when his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he took a huge swallow. Taking a dry cloth, she knelt down gracefully and began wiping the remains of the miso soup. "…how about you?"

"I…haven't gotten that far yet." His voice sounded sheepish.

Saki looked at him knowingly under her lashes. "But you're already on page eighty-one."

Kazuma unwisely kept his silence at her comment.

Saki got up from the shining tiles and washed the cloth in the sink. "You know," she continued, looking at the cloth, "the part where he gives her three orgasms in a row."

At this point Kazuma's stony glare melted into a puddle at her feet. He could defeat Yuki, Haru, Kyo and Kagura even if they came at him all at once but against her his defense crumbled at her command.

This time, when he smiled, he didn't try to mask the desire that had been aroused inside him. "You never cease to amaze me with your ability to talk about things like this with absolute nonchalance as if we were talking about Tomoda."

"Things like what?" Saki challenged, hanging the cloth on the rack to dry.

"Things like…Shigure's work."

Finally she turned to face him, her expression serious yet playful, "Like foreplay, fellatio and sex?"

Kazuma felt himself sink into her black orbs that were like an endless abyss, a kind of falling he realized that he enjoyed immensely, the weightless feeling that made him feel like an eighteen-year-old falling in love for the first time. But every time he wanted to give in into his instinct and corner her against the wall, he always ended up widening the berth between them. Despite her maturity _way _beyond her years, she was still eighteen and freshly graduated from high school, and he was…nearing retirement.

But before desire and logic could battle it out, a sharp ringing pierced through the seductive atmosphere that was wrapped around them.

"Ah…" Saki began, "Tomoda's unconscious, you should get that."

Kazuma didn't want to know what had happened between his assistant and his infatuation; the latter was problematic enough. Instead, the cliché _saved by the bell_ flashed through his mind as he politely excused himself to pick up the telephone. He really should remember to get a phone with a more pleasant ringtone. He was going deaf without its help already.

Saki immediately felt the sharp spike in Kazuma's energy as he listened to the person on the other line. Gliding into the living room, she watched patiently as his soft expression five seconds ago harden into a stoic face.

* * *

"Tohru-sensei! Look at my drawing!" A very excited five-year-old Juno squealed, happily showing off her artistic venture.

Tohru Honda bent over the small girl's frame to take a closer look. "Wonderful job, Juno-chan! And who is that on the right?"

"That's mama!" the little girl rambled, "and that's me in the middle and Tohru-sensei on the left! Do you like it? Do you?"

Tohru smiled motherly at her. "Yes, I like it very much. Please show your mother when you get home, all right?"

"Yay!" Elated at her teacher's encouragement, Juno scrambled off to advertise her drawing.

"Children! Your parents are here! It is time to go home," Tohru announced, gathering the scattered colored pencils and rulers. "You can finish your drawing tomorrow if you are not done yet."

The kids happily stuffed their exercise books into their small backpack and one by one, Tohru released them to their parents. After the last student waved goodbye, Tohru turned back to the empty classroom. When the kids were here there was never a moment of silence, so she took the chance to enjoy the break from the constant buzzing that comes with a group of children.

This was exactly how she wanted it to be; to have a job at the daycare center where interaction with kids made her especially happy, and to go home at the end of a long, hard day to the man in her life. Ever since they came to the affiliated dojo, Kyo had become so consumed with training that Tohru felt she should be doing something to keep herself from becoming a burden to him. She had never been a dependent person to begin with, so she was overjoyed when she found her ideal job in less than two months. She loved how Kyo's eyes would light up like the sun as he gave her a run-down of his day at the dojo and how she was also able to contribute to the conversation with her take of the day. And then she would fall asleep in the warmth of his embrace.

Although she usually woke up to find him gone, there was always something he left behind, sometimes a note, sometimes a sweet and recently, a rose. Who said the man knew nothing about romancing a woman? Although there _were_ some bedroom matters bugging her recently, she decided to push it aside for the time being.

Humming softly to herself, she began planning an intimate but simple dinner for two. It was Friday, and she wanted to bring the week into a comfortable closure.

"See you next week, Itsumi-san, Meya-san!" Tohru bid her colleagues goodbye and headed home in the warm sunset.

She could whip up some Japanese curry and make some hand rolls in time for dinner. Kyo was going to be late as he taught a night class on Friday, so Tohru thought she had ample time to boil some stew. Top it off with the tea that Yuki had grown and it would be the perfect way to end a long week.

Nodding to herself in satisfaction, she slid open the door and found Kyo sitting on the futon watching television, steam rising from the warm food on the table behind him. The ends of his hair was still dripping droplets of water, and a towel hung casually around his neck, and dressed in track pants and a T-shirt, Kyo managed to chase her heart into a race, as he always do.

In that moment Kyo looked up, lively orange eyes lighting up as they met hers, and his whole body language softened upon noticing her arrival. His lips curled into a small, almost undetectable smile that made her insides tremble because she knew she was meant as the recipient and probably the only one in the world who had unlimited access to this Kyo.

"I get to get home before you for once," Kyo grinned warmly, getting up from the futon to take her bag.

"And you even made dinner for us," Tohru took his outstretched hand as he led her to the dinner table. "Didn't you have class today?"

"I've missed you this past few days," Kyo explained as he sat down next to her at the small square table and scooped some green curry onto her rice. "What with the competition coming up next week, I haven't been making it home in time for dinner with you."

"This tastes really good!" Tohru chirped happily, indulging in the feeling of being loved and taken care of.

"That's 'cause you taught me how to boil it just right, remember?"

Tohru blushed pleasantly, grinning into her spoon.

"The bastard rat called again just now. I swear he does it just to annoy me," Kyo's face clouded for a second as he mentioned his long-time rival, but he watched as his girlfriend's beautiful face brighten up at the mention of his cousin.

"He did? That is great! He would be returning to the Sohma's house during his holidays, right?"

"Yeah, he mentioned something like that. Mostly he was asking if we were gonna be back. Maybe we should go back during the holidays. The judo will be rather empty as well as my students are going overseas for holidays too," Kyo suggested after gobbling down one bowl of rice.

"Really?"

Kyo didn't believe Tohru could look any more excited than she already was. He'd tried to resist her enthusiasm more than once, but after a few tries, he knew all his efforts were futile. He couldn't help but do whatever she wanted. She had the problematic habit of convincing him to do her bidding. Not that she ever abused it of course.

The past few weeks leading up to the competition had taken its toll on him. His students were entering a national competition and since they'd made it this far, he didn't want to disappoint them. He'd put all his mind and energy into strategizing and training, striving to mould them into the perfection they needed to bring home the championship. It took so much out of him that he always came home _way_ after dinner, and though Tohru would always stay up and wait for him, he'd quickly usher her to bed before eating his microwaved dinner silently in the living room with the television muted. The moment he slid into bed he'd drop instantly to sleep and he would always wake up an hour before her alarm clock went off.

On some days he would lie in bed for ten minutes just to breathe in the scent of her and hold her warm body close. He felt guilty for stealing physical pleasures here and there, but sometimes it was her lingering presence on his arm that kept his engine up throughout the arduous day.

For some reason, he felt that their relationship had come to a halt after moving in together. He became so caught up in advancing his dojo career that he let it consume him. He talked about it, thought about it and went about doing it. They had finally made progress after he convinced her to move into the same room with him, but then things went stagnant. Sure, they talked about their lives and exchanged stories, and he had began to know her likes and dislikes (although she often acted as though she had no particular preference in order not to be bothersome to anybody), her wake-up routine, the way she breathed and what the various expressions on her face meant.

But he always felt there was supposed to be something more than that. Hell, he was _craving_ for something more, but he hadn't had the time to think or execute his almost non-existent plans.

Kyo listened half-heartedly through his reverie as Tohru made plans to visit all her friends she hadn't seen for a long time. The last time shishou came he came with Hanajima and Uotani, which had freaked him out completely as the image of Hanajima cozying up to his unsuspecting shishou imprinted itself on his mind. And from his conversations with shishou recently, _Hanajima_ had slowly evolved to _Hana-chan_ and more recently _Saki-chan_, which had made him hang up the phone in his haste to block out unpleasant images. Of course, he'd called back apologizing for the bad reception, but he'd been dreading going back to his old dojo for fear of actually _watching_ his nightmare come true.

"It would be so wonderful to get together with everyone for New Year's, do you think, Kyo-kun?"

His name on her tongue snapped him back to reality immediately, and his head automatically nodded without processing her question.

_Wait, New Year's?_

"But we don't really have a place to stay now, do we?"

"Well," Kyo said hastily, "we could always crash Shigure's. I'm sure he's bored out of his mind without Yuki and me fighting every other day."

But the pervert would probably have filled the silent house with the sounds of desperate and drunk women by now if he'd felt lonely. Eyes widening in horror, he reconsidered the idea. The thought of Tohru finally discovering the dark side of the evil man the novelist was made Kyo even more protective of her.

"Or…shishou's," Kyo said reluctantly. But it was either facing his nightmare or going to the Sohma's house, so he felt the former won the battle by that slightest margin. Despite the re-structuring of the Sohma hierarchy and the abolishment of the Cat's prison, Kyo wanted to avoid the place as much as possible. It reminded him too much of his life before his curse was broken.

Tohru felt his hesitancy instantly. "Has something happened with Kazuma-sensei recently?"

"Well," Kyo began, rubbing his neck in an old habit, "sorta. I think he and Hanajima…are fast becoming good friends."

Inwardly, Tohru felt that it was great for Hana-chan, but she completely understood how Kyo felt about the whole situation. She herself wasn't sure if going after a man nearly thirty years her senior was such a good idea. Sure, her parents had a happy marriage despite being eight years apart, but thirty years was probably too much of a difference. She'd heard from Hana-chan recently too, so she knew the situation pretty well, although Hana-chan wasn't one to indulge in juicy details. But just because she had found her happiness with Kyo didn't mean she had the power to dictate how her best friends led their lives.

In an attempt to distract Kyo and not to show her true feelings about the situation, Tohru got up and began clearing the bowls and utensils, "I – I think that that is good for them, for shishou would have company he enjoys while you are not there. He must miss you a lot too."

"Yeah," Kyo conceded, placing warm hands over hers as he took over the chore of washing the dishes.

Tohru nudged him playfully as she dried the plates. "Don't be jealous of Hana-chan! She'll never replace you in Kazuma-sensei's heart, I'm sure."

_Yeah, because they were running in different races._

He bumped his hips to hers lightly and grinned boyishly.

And just like that, the heavy atmosphere that had momentarily shrouded them vanished into a puff of smoke and suddenly, all Kyo wanted to do was focus on her. The careful way she wiped the dishes and placed them on the rack, the gentleness of her smile and the graceful poise she exuded.

There weren't many dishes to wash for a dinner of two, so Kyo finished his chores in less than ten minutes. Tohru turned around to hang up an apron and suddenly she felt a pair of strong arms surround her waist as familiar body heat trapped her against the hanger. He nuzzled her neck and left a trail of butterfly kisses from her jaw line to her collarbone, pressing her closer to him as she mumbled something incoherent.

"Kyo-kun…"

Again, the way she said his name untied all the tight knots in places he didn't know existed and it certainly wasn't the first time he wished he could do more than just hold and kiss her. But she never gave any indication about whether she wanted more or not, and he didn't want to risk scaring her after doing so much to keep her. He'd wait until he was sure she was completely ready, and for now, he would just be contented to be surrounded by her comforting scent.

Turning Tohru around slowly, his eyes never left hers as he smoothly descended upon her lips, until he was only a whisper away. He could feel her holding her breath, her warm, chocolate eyes holding him in place. He'd always try to restrain himself to let her take the lead, but she always took too long and he too impatient for the moment to last long. He'd end up closing up that last distance, like what he was doing now. Apparently she had been holding her breath way too long because her pretty little mouth was opened when his lips grazed hers. Kyo took this opportunity to deepen the kiss, his logical brain shutting down from the onslaught of everything Tohru onto his senses. He felt her hands pressing slightly into his chest as his own wandered to her waist and settled somewhere at the base of her spine. He felt her eyelashes flutter against him as he slipped his hands under her shirt to rest on her warm skin, drinking in the taste and feel of her. He didn't want to stop, he realized. This was something he would never get used to, and he didn't want to. He liked how she responded to him so vividly, and how she could make him forget everything existed for a moment. This was probably as close as he could get to heaven without dying.

Feeling a little emboldened, Kyo hiked up under her shirt until his hands reached her bra line. He fingered the cotton absentmindedly, briefly noting through the haze of kissing that Tohru had tightened her grip on his shirt into a bunch. Suddenly, her tongue met his fully, a sensation so new that he gasped. The unexpected intake of air reminded him that he still needed oxygen, and he broke the kiss for a quick breath before diving down to her mouth again, as if he couldn't bear to be away from her for more than a fraction of a second. The second time her tongue met his, he completely lost control.

He pushed her against the wall so that her body was flushed against his, his hands slipping to grip her bottom to scoop her up so that he could kiss her without straining his neck. Her legs wrapped reflexively around his waist as he pressed into her mouth, tasting more, wanting more. She smelled _so_ good.

His hands had taken a mind of their own, trailing to the front to unbutton her blouse. This was only the second time he had done this, because how the first time ended was still etched deeply in his horrified memory. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her undergarments, but it was definitely the first time he'd seen her wear them. And the effect of it was so strong that he couldn't stop his bodily reaction. She'd yelped and blushed so red that it almost matched the apple prints on her panties. Then she'd promptly rushed out of the bathroom, leaving Kyo's ego more than just a little bruised.

Her moan jerked his attention back to her, her voice filled with something that he felt was sufficient as green light for him to take the next step. He slipped his hand into her bra to cup her left breast, suckling on her tongue as he elicited another moan from his combined ministrations. She squeezed his waist with her legs, the action bringing his attention to the aching in his pants. And somehow, he knew. He knew that she wasn't scared of him anymore, and he'd really be the stupid cat Yuki always referred to if he didn't take advantage of it now.

Kyo was about to pull her off the wall to take it more seriously when the telephone rang.

* * *

"Is there really a need to call them now?" Saki asked quietly, kneeling beside a Kazuma who was currently holding the phone to his ear.

"He deserves to be the first to know," the master of the dojo said firmly.

"Just don't be surprised when Kyo-san snaps at you. He's busy." Saki grinned to herself as she tuned in to Tohru's wavelengths.

* * *

The bloody phone wouldn't stop ringing. Kyo was doing his best to ignore it, but the morally upright Tohru could not resist being respectful and polite even in times when she just wanted to melt into her boyfriend. Reluctantly, she broke the kiss, "T-the phone, Kyo-kun."

She whimpered under Kyo's intense gaze, but meekly nodded to the phone again.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Kyo went into the living room to pick up the call.

"_What?_"

* * *

Kazuma really didn't like the tone Kyo had adopted. If it weren't for Saki, he would have been really hurt.

"Kyo."

There was a pause at the other end of the line.

"Shishou?" Came Kyo's reply, this time more respectful and slightly apologetic. "I'm sorry, I was in the middle of something. Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"Ah," well, there didn't seem to be any point beating about the bush, "your father was found dead this evening in his room. I was just informed."

For a moment, Kazuma thought he heard something like '_good'_, but he decided not to elaborate on the call.

"I-I see."

"The whole family is in mourning."

"What family?"

"You know, Kyo," Kazuma chided lightly. "Perhaps you should come back. To end this properly."

"I'll let you know if we have any plans, Shishou."

Kazuma let out an exasperated sigh as he replaced the phone. He'd certainly missed Kyo when he was gone, but apparently his adopted son didn't really enjoy the call from him. Granted the call came with less-than-joyful news, but he could have at least shown some level of enthusiasm at the caller.

Realizing that his inner self was whining like a girl in love, Kazuma shook his head and returned his attention to the dark-eyed girl beside him. Honestly, he didn't know how it had happened. The very first time he saw her, he'd just taken her as one of Tohru's interesting choice of friends. Saki Hanajima had an air of maturity and serenity that most adults didn't possess, and she had the uncanny ability to put a person both at ease and on their toes. The first time he brought her home (it was _not_ what it seemed) was when they just got back from visiting Tohru. She'd said she wanted to wait for Kyo as she had some things to discuss with him, so he hadn't thought too much about it. He was surprised by how she moved about the dojo as if it were her own element, and how she filled the rooms with her presence. They were just enjoying a cup of tea that she'd made when the doorbell rang.

"Ah, that's Aki-chan."

Kazuma had been rather nonplussed. "Aki-chan?"

"The Head of the Sohma House, Kazuma-san."

It took him a few more moments to realize that she was talking about Sohma Akito and in that time, Hanajima had gotten up and invited the petite boy in. It'd struck him weird that she would give him the suffix of a girl, much less the fearsome Head of the Household, but one look at the interaction between the two as they came in, Kazuma knew Hanajima had Akito completely wrapped around her finger. In fact, Akito had looked the most flustered state Kazuma had ever seen him in. It was only later when he'd ambushed her in the kitchen that Hanajima innocently told him that Akito was a girl, and simultaneously chided him for leaving their guest alone in the living room.

He'd been more than pleased with Akito's decision – it was bordering on grateful, but he'd never let Akito know that. Instead, he took to the news as enthusiastically as he would a cup of hot tea – nonchalantly.

That day had been full of visitors, he recalled, first Saki, then Akito, then Kyo. By the time the latter two left, he was looking forward to some quiet peace with himself. He'd almost forgotten that she was in his house. He couldn't figure if it was because she blended so well with his surroundings, or if she made him feel comfortable as himself. As close as he was to Kyo, he was ultimately a form of father figure for the boy, and Kazuma had fulfilled his role accordingly. With her, someone who had no connections to the Sohma house whatsoever, he actually didn't know how to feel. He'd spent so much time being so close to the Zodiacs that his life had somehow taken a turn for one that was similar to theirs, isolated togetherness. His time in the dojo became duties to fulfill and Kazuma suspected he had been unwittingly sucked into their world without ever really being part of their world.

After that first time, Saki had come over for various reasons that he couldn't remember now, though there was once when she caught him cooking with a book. It ended up with her cooking and staying for dinner, and they'd chatted amiably about things that seemed random, but to him, had a suspicious tone to it. She always gave him the feeling that she knew something he didn't, and to a man nearing his fifties, he hadn't enjoyed that uncertainty all that much. But at the same time, he liked being around her because she reminded him of a normal life outside the Sohma house, something that his other students had been unable to provide. It was until they got to the topic of how she and Tohru became friends that he learned of her secret telepathic abilities. The Zodiac and her combined cemented the belief that there were truly supernatural beings in the world, and they came in the form of humans, not ghosts.

He couldn't believe that he had _giggled_ when Saki told him about her escapades where she'd 'accidentally' let loose some of the poison waves, but he'd recently come to accept the fact that Saki could inspire him to do things he normally wasn't adept to.

He felt the woman beside him tighten and he gave her a sideway glance, "Are you listening to my thoughts?"

"Do you want me to?"

He shrugged. "What was Kyo doing before when I called him anyway?"

Saki gave him the biggest smirk he'd ever seen cross her face yet. "Something akin to page seventy-two."

* * *

Tohru looked worriedly at her lover's expression – a frown etched that deeply never bode well.

"What was that about?" Kyo had recently acquired the ability to look surprisingly blank when anything unexpected came flying his direction. Tohru attributed this to his training in the dojo – fights were unpredictable, and under the dojo master's tutelage, Kyo had learned quickly that wearing his heart on his sleeve wasn't the best way to go. Although Tohru could easily detect his signs of distress (the purposeful blank face was a dead giveaway), she could no longer guess what the problem was about.

Kyo rubbed his face forcefully before turning to look at Tohru.

"Father died," he said tonelessly. "Probably drank himself to death."

"Kyo-kun…" Without proper words, Tohru could only wrap her small hands around his clenched fists. Kyo had always had mixed feelings about his father after the final showdown, and Tohru suspected that some part of Kyo had already forgiven the man who abandoned him at the most vital moment. Kyo might even have secretly wanted to mend the broken relationship somehow, to at least achieve some sort of understanding between the two, because they ultimately still shared a very strong bond in common – a woman they both loved. But now, the chance had passed. And Tohru was anxious that this would slowly eat away at Kyo.

"We should go back."

"We should?" He looked lost.

As gently as she could, Tohru cupped his face. "Yes. We should."

* * *

**A/N:** Let me know if you think it's worth continuing. :) I'm keeping the characters as in character as possible, though there will be future changes as the story progresses because what's a good story without character development? REVIEW.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Of Love and the Like**

"YUKI, MY LOVE!"

Sohma Yuki cringed in front of his laptop and sighed to the person he had on screen.

"My brother has dropped by without warning, _again_."

"So has mine, actually."

"I think they planned it."

"They definitely did," was the last thing his girlfriend said before she disappeared in a whiz of a blur and Kakeru's face came into focus on screen.

"Yun-yun-chan! Aren't you jealous that I have Machi here in blood and flesh ALL TO MYSELF-"

"YUKI-KUN, AREN'T YOU JUST ECSTATIC THAT YOU FINALLY HAVE ME HERE IN BLOOD AND FLESH _ALL TO YOURSELF-_"

Yuki gave his over-enthusiastic brother a cursory glance and promptly ignored him. "Stop drooling all over your sister, Kakeru, incest is so last season."

"YUN-YUN-CHAN! Envy doesn't become of you…tsk tsk."

"I'm not envious of you, you bloody idiot. Why are you back already anyway?"

"I decided to skip the last week of classes. HAHA. They are soooo boring."

"Do you want to fail-"

"YUKI, WHY ARE YOU IGNORING YOUR AWESOME IN HIGH DEMAND BROTHER AYAME SOHMA!"

"Onii-san!" Yuki groaned. "I'm trying my hardest to pretend that you don't exist so that I won't accidentally commit murder, so will you please _not_ tempt me!"

"The fire in your eyes and the heat in your cheeks are _so_ _beautiful_, my dear little brother! I'm almost tempted to swoop down from my glorious haven to kiss-"

"Commander! That's an excellent idea!"

Yuki took it as the last straw when he noticed Ayame closing in on him with his lips puckered for a sloppy kiss.

The resounding crash warranted even Machi's concern. "You didn't kill him did you?"

"It's alright, I'll dump his body in the sea later so no one will notice."

"YUKI, MY BROTHER!"

"Don't worry, that's just his spirit trying to get the last word in before he has to float into the lighted path."

Machi sweat dropped at Yuki's annoyance and nonchalance as Kakeru burst out laughing in the backdrop.

"Anyway, I should be back by the end of this week, I suspect onii-san came to 'accompany' me back home," Yuki smiled. "Wait for me, okay?"

Behind, Kakeru blanched and made a huge gagging sound, but that didn't stop Machi from blushing red and stuttering, "O-okay. Bye."

After Yuki closed the screen, he sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes to prepare himself for the confrontation with his brother. The passionate man had a tendency of absorbing all his energy within a minute. Yuki needed to regenerate.

Yuki felt Ayame's presence creeping up behind him, but he decided to disregard it. _Rebooting 10% complete…_

What he didn't expect, however, was Ayame to scoop him up in disgusting bridal style and twirl him around.

"What the- Shit, let me down!"

Probably realizing that Yuki wasn't going to be joking about murdering him this time, Ayame reluctantly placed Yuki on the ground.

Letting out a growl, Yuki headed for the kitchen. "Is Mine-san here?"

"Nope!" Ayame replied cheerfully, trailing after his younger brother. "She has some preparations to make for Christmas. And she has to tend the shop."

"Shouldn't orders be rushing in by now? It's Christmas, after all. And do you want some tea?"

Ayame leaned against the door frame, looking on the scene before him fondly. "Yes!"

The first time Yuki offered to make him tea, Ayame nearly cried his eyes out in happiness. That was a major milestone for him – his brother willingly making him tea – and he made sure all the important people in his life knew about it. He wouldn't stop talking about it for weeks, until Yuki called and threatened to never make tea for him again if he didn't shut up about it. Ayame had briefly wondered who had ratted out on him, but decided it wasn't worth his time investigating. A moment spent away from Mine was a moment wasted, after all, unless it was for productive purposes such as building a stronger bond between himself and Yuki or visiting Hatori. So, Ayame simply noted down the important date in his mind and named it 'Yuki-made-tea-for-awesome-brother Day'.

"I rushed all my orders. The mighty power that God has bestowed on my sacred hands has enabled me to sew at lightning speed with extravagant results!"

"Congratulations."

"Ah, my brother, do not congratulate me yet! For I bring astounding news!"

Yuki handed him his steaming cup and left for the sitting room. "Will you stop with the exclamation marks and talk like a normal being. Please."

Flagrantly taking no notice of his brother's request, Ayame announced, "Mine and I are getting married on Christmas Eve!"

"Again?"

"Because our love will never fade!"

"That's what most people mean when they get married the first time."

"And you, my brother Yuki, are grandly invited to Ayame and Mine Sohma's wedding ceremony! And you shall have the honor of being my best man!"

"No. I entertained you the first time-"

"And I won't take no for an answer!"

Yuki sighed. Ayame wasn't listening to him anyway. He decided that he would just say something so deeply scarring that Ayame wouldn't _dare_ ask him to be his best man every year he got married to Mine again. The man just wanted a chance to flaunt his assets whenever he could, and Yuki suspected that if Ayame had his way, he would have an engagement ceremony _and _a wedding every single year. His brother just couldn't resist dressing up, and to do it for everyone equated multiple orgasms for the ex-snake-host. Yuki shuddered at the memory of Ayame's first wedding – the over-the-top decorations and pure excessiveness of it all was enough to last him a lifetime. Ayame had taken the liberty of personally designing something for everyone, and Yuki had spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find out where his hand was supposed to emerge from the never-ending maze Ayame called clothes. Ayame had burst into his room that day to make sure that Yuki didn't try anything funny, and then promptly sent his fiancé in to help Yuki dress. Yuki was only beginning to wonder why Ayame was willing to let Mine see him half-dressed before his brother called from over his shoulder, "No matter how beautiful you are, my dear brother, Mine still loves me the best!"

Yuki was suddenly aware that his surroundings were rather quiet, a phenomenon that rarely, if ever, occurred in the presence of Ayame Sohma. Looking up from his reverie, he saw that his brother was nowhere in sight, although the blue mug was steaming away on the coffee table.

Standing up, Yuki went in search of his elusive brother.

"Onii-san?"

Yuki came across the Snake in his bedroom, flinging his clothes haphazardly into an open suitcase on the bed.

"_What_ are you doing?"

"Time to pack-pack-pack! Our ride comes in 2 hours!"

"What are you talking about? I still have classes for another week!"

Ayame came out of the closet, eyes still shining from the excitement of touching fabric.

"We can't, Yuki. Kitty Kyo's otou-san's funeral is in 3 days."

"I don- Wait, you said what?"

"He was found dead in his room. The whole house is in mourning and we're sending him off in a few days. That's why I came to pick you up."

"You couldn't have just cal-"

"And to offer my warm embrace for the emotionally shaken younger brother at the news of his best friend's father's death!"

"You're disgusting."

"_Of course_ you would be in denial, but have no fear, my Yuki, for your onii-san is always here for you!"

Finally having enough of his brother's nonsense, Yuki huffed and turned on his heel. He needed a quiet space to think, to digest the information Ayame had just dumped on him. His mind flittered to Tohru and Kyo. He had called them a few days ago to check in on his favorite girl in the world. (Machi was his number one romantic favorite of course.) He'd called at a bad time, and Tohru wasn't home yet. Kyo hadn't sounded particularly bothered or upset, except for the fact that _the Rat_ had called. Yuki thought Kyo was actually secretly relieved to hear from him, though. He smirked at the idea.

How was Kyo taking the news? The Kyo Yuki talked to was no longer the hot-headed boy solely focused on beating Yuki in everything. This Kyo had mellowed in a good way, and became a more steady and level-headed person, someone whom Yuki felt he could finally trust with Tohru. He had to admit he'd had his doubts that they could manage, but they did, and better than he'd hoped, so Yuki was extremely happy for them. He just hoped that his event wouldn't trigger something in Kyo that would cause him to revert back to his previous self. Though this time, at least Tohru would be there for him if things got difficult.

Yuki let out the third sigh for the day. No wonder Ayame could afford to come fetch him. He was expecting to be back in the shop by tonight anyway. The story about the rushed orders was probably exaggerated, or at the very least blown up. This was definitely not how he would choose to end his semester at the university, but family matters called and you picked it up, no questions asked. That was how it was in the Sohma family, and Yuki had nothing against it. It was maybe even a blessing in disguise, gathering everyone around to just simply bask in each other's existence and _feel_ again. He missed the times with the Zodiacs and the wholesome sense they inspired in him, and even without the curse now, the past still linked them together as tightly as ever. He naturally gravitated to them; they were people who understood and people who cared.

Although the person his missed most was Tohru. She was an absolute klutz at the computer, and whenever he tried to webcam with her, she needed the assistance of Kyo at all times, and that just nullified the wholesome experience he would have gotten with just Tohru alone. He could literally _sense_ the possessiveness around her, and he didn't want to invite trouble. So he took what he could, like a heroin addict he would sneak shots here and there to sustain him just enough to satisfy his desire to be with her. He knew that no matter what, he would always love Tohru more than he should, and he would always want her more than he was allowed to. He would willingly be her boyfriend in an instant if she ever asked, and he knew and accepted the fact. No doubt it was unfair to Machi and to Kyo, but Yuki didn't try to stop how he felt. He'd spent so much of his younger years suppressing himself at whatever and whenever that he had grown sick and tired of it. Maybe swinging into the extreme was not the best idea, but for now, he wanted to be led where it took him.

There came a honk from outside the house.

"Onii-san! The car's here!"

Ayame swiftly swept into the living room as if on a magical ride, opening the door to reveal the luxurious limousine. Yuki hurriedly washed the used mugs and replaced them on the stands as the chauffeur came in to pick up the bags. There wasn't much to pack since Yuki had everything he needed in the Ayame's house, so he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the torturous long ride with his elder brother.

* * *

"Shigure, I'm actually trying to do some work here, so will you please _stop_."

"But Akito's busy with the house matters and she's ignoring me," the dog pouted. Hatori swore that love did strange things to Shigure. Before he got together with Akito, Shigure was already more whiny than your average high school girl, but somehow, now he was even _worse_. Hatori had no idea why that happened, but he supposed it was a way of getting Akito's undivided attention. Moreover, ever since the man found solace with the girl he loved, he had become even more intrusive on Hatori's private life than before. Shigure seemed to know his schedule better than he did, and set him up with women whenever he could, though recently Hatori had began ignoring Shigure and stopped turning up for the blind dates. Honestly, meeting someone for the sake of gauging whether the other was fit for dating was an unattractive thing to do in Hatori's opinion.

"I'm not going on that date you're setting me up for, so please shut up and go away."

"But Akito's not in the mood to have sex with me. For some reason the death of the Cat's daddy has created a big hoo-hah in the household."

"Then go write and indulge in those romance novels of yours."

"Why use the substitute when you have the real thing?"

"'Cause your real thing is ignoring you, stupid dog. Please disappear."

"And you _must_ go on this date, it's Shiraki-chan! She'll be so disappointed if you gave her a miss. With that hot hairstyle, what's not to like?"

"She's Kana's best friend."

"So? I dated her."

"You and I are on different levels of morals."

"True, but let bygones be bygones. That woman's loved you ever since she met you anyway."

Hatori halted his inspection of the medical files. "What?"

"You were just too in love and heartbroken with Kana at the time to notice. It was clear as day to everybody else that saw her interact with you. It still is, by the way."

"But we barely know each other."

"Trust me, she knows plenty about you. You know how it is with girls, they tell each other everything. So basically I think she knows everything about you that Kana knows."

"The Zodiac?"

"Oh, I don't think she knew about that. Though she does know that you have scary memory-erasing powers."

"Who doesn't?"

"Exactly. So anyway, I've keyed your date with Shiraki into your handphone, so be nice and have fun! I'm gonna go see if Aki-chan wants to have sex now."

_Ugh.

* * *

_

Ritsu Sohma fidgeted when he was nervous. His hands would shake, his face would pale, and sweat would form in little beads on his forehead. A nervous Ritsu was not a pleasant sight, because let's face it, golden brown hair with eyes too big and face a light shade of purple was definitely not pretty.

_Otherwise, he was a good-looking man_, Mitsuru mused. Of course, she had no right to judge, since she had the tendency to exhibit all of the above symptoms when in an uncomfortable situation. Right now, however, she was more worried that he had perhaps choked on his food.

"Ritsu-san?"

No response. It was like he was lost in his own world. Perhaps he soul had lost its way.

"Ano… Ritsu-san?" Mitsuru raised her voice just a little bit.

Something seemed to snap within Ritsu's soulless eyes, and life flowed back into the body.

"Eh. Eh?"

"Are you alright?"

"Ah, of course, Mitsuru-san, why wouldn't I be?"

"Your face turned purple for a second."

Ritsu's eyes widened. "I-I did?"

"No, just your face."

"Oh. Yeah. I'm fine, thank you, Mitsuru-san."

They ate in companionable silence for a while.

"Um, Mitsuru-san…"

"Yes, Ritsu-san?"

"I… I was wondering if you wanted to join me for New Year's." _There I said it.

* * *

_

"But Momo-chan wants to play with Momiji-onii-san!"

"Now, now, Momo. Momiji-kun may be busy with his school work and other friends." Her mother chided lightly, tightening her grip on the little girl.

"No, it's alright, Mrs. Sohma, I've got nothing on today. I'd like to play with Momo-chan for a while too."

"Oh, I don't want to trouble you. She can be quite a handful."

"Momo-chan is not a hand! She is a girl!"

Momiji laughed. "It's totally fine. If you don't mind, I would like to take her to the zoo. I think she'll like the animals."

"Yes! Momo-chan wants to see the rabbits! And the monkeys! And the rabbits!"

It was Mrs. Sohma's turn to laugh. "Oh, she can't get enough of rabbits. She was pestering me for one not too long ago."

Momiji smiled inwardly. It didn't matter that she didn't know he was her brother. Even without that knowledge, their bond and connection was more than enough.

"So how about this Friday? I heard that both you and Mr. Sohma have the day off?"

"Okaa-san, please, please, please?"

"Oh alright. Since you're going to see Momiji-kun on Friday, then you're coming home with me now to finish your homework. Deal?"

Momo threw one imploring glance at the golden-haired boy.

"Deal."

Momo quickly wriggled out of her mother's grasp and threw the boy a hug. "See you on Friday Momiji-onii-san!"

Momiji stroked her hair softly. "See you, Momo-chan."

Momiji waved them goodbye and started his walk back to his house. When his curse was broken, he had briefly entertained the notion of moving out on his own, since he wasn't tied to the Sohma compound anymore. But on second thought, there were too many advantages as to staying. He didn't have to pay rent, he could spend a larger proportion of his allowance on other things, and he had a better chance of running into Momo and her mother.

Ever since the curse broke, he took every opportunity he could to see her, and he even managed to convince his father to continue his violin lessons with Momo. As a result he got to see her every week, forming a very strong relationship between brother and sister. Of course, Momo had no idea, but she was just happy to be able to play violin with the boy she looked up to. Momiji had also started helping Momo with her classes, teaching her simple math that left the confused girl in awe as Momiji solved the problem sums one by one with ease. In her eyes, Momiji equated to Superman, except that he was much better looking, had better hair, and beautiful eyes.

Sighing quietly, Momiji let himself into the quiet house. He'd always imagined what it would have been like if his mother hadn't rejected him. When he came home from school, he would be greeted by his mother and sister, and the house would be littered with Barbie dolls and other toys, and the television would be showing some cartoon that Momo had been watching before he reached home. His mother would have just gotten back from work, preparing a light-hearted meal for the family. He would go into his room, change out of his uniform, and spend some time on his homework before being called down to dinner. The family of four would be seated around the table for dinner, and they'd exchange stories about their day, with Momo bouncing with excitement while telling hers. He would perhaps play with Momo a bit before finishing up his homework, and then he would watch some television before preparing for bed.

He could envision it as if he'd lived it. And it hurt, it hurt so bad, every time he opened his eyes and saw the darkness that enveloped him instead. The pain never got easier. Every single time, it was like a new wound, a new gash, the intensity stronger than before. The pain was somehow always fresher, larger, and it seemed to have the ability to consume him momentarily.

But now, he had Momo. He had his mother. Sure, it wouldn't be known that they were blood-related, but at least he had them by his side. He could, for now, be contented. He had more than he'd ever dreamed of. The curse breaking in his lifetime was not a pleasure he had entertained, and the sudden liberalization and his love for it had made him greedy. He knew he wanted more. He desired more. But he was contented, right? He had to be.

An idea struck him. They were just rumors, but rumors had to have its roots in truth, right?

Momiji deftly fished his cell from his pocket and called the number on his speed dial.

In three rings, the other end answered.

"Hatori-san? Can we talk?"

* * *

**Read and review! Let me know what you think. The story's only getting interesting.**


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